In the Moment
by kumak
Summary: Ichigo learns to live. Oneshot.


**Title: **In the Moment

**Rating: **R or M, whichever you prefer.

**Pairing:** IshidaxIchigo (SLASH)

**Summary: **Ichigo learns to live.

* * *

_I hate soul reapers._

_In other words…_

_I hate _you.

* * *

A teenage boy lay awake in the wee hours of morning. He sat up with a frustrated sigh and padded silently to his window, opened it, and slipped onto the balcony. A habitual scowl darkened his patrician features; and the waning glow of moonlight emphasized the boy's shock of orange hair.

_I hate you_.

In all his fifteen years, Kurosaki Ichigo had been many things. But, he had never been _hated_. He especially had never been _hated_ by someone that he didn't even know, much less, someone that didn't even know _him._

Uryu Ishida. Quincey.

What was with that guy anyhow?

_Better question: Why does he bother you so much?_

His scowl deepened fractionally.

"…nooo! Orihime! We mustn't… but if you insiiiiist…" Ichigo turned an amused eye toward the small, currently sleep-talking stuffed lion on his bed. Kon.

"Orihimmee!" the teddy sang happily.

Ichigo shook his head and allowed a tiny grin to soften his face. It soon disappeared however when his thoughts turned to the aforementioned Orihime. The girl was devastatingly cute. Sweet, caring, smart… well-endowed (extremely)… Everything a hormonally charged, teenage guy would want. And she was his for the taking.

Which, of course, was the problem.

Sure, Ichigo liked her. Just like he liked Yuzu or Tatsuki or Rukia even. Which was another problem: He was surrounded by cute girls and he didn't like a single one of them. However, he didn't let this bother him overly much. He probably just hadn't found the right girl yet.

"Can't sleep?" a deep voice said near his ear.

"Holy SHIT!" Ichigo pitched forward and would have fallen if a strong hand hadn't shot out and caught him by the arm.

Ichigo abruptly found himself face to face with the cause of his insomnia. Uryu Ishida.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!"

"Shh…" Ishida shushed, raising a pale finger to his lips. "People are sleeping, idiot."

"Answer me!" Ichigo insisted, but in a quieter tone of voice.

The other boy rolled his eyes and replied, "I was taking a walk and noticed you sitting here."

"You were taking a walk at four in the morning!"

Ishida merely shrugged.

Ichigo suddenly realized that Ishida's hand was still on his arm. He stared at the offending appendage until the other boy took it away blushing slightly. He turned away from him then and gazed up at the stars. His blue-black hair fluttered in the wind. Ichigo found himself staring at his 'enemy'. Ishida wore a plain white collared shirt and blue jeans. Despite his deceptively skinny form, Ichigo could see that the Quincey was quite well built.

"Didn't anyone tell you it was rude to stare?"

Strawberry flushed and growled. "I wasn't staring at _you_. What do you want anyway?"

The other boy continued to gaze at the sky.

"Hey! Quit ignoring me!"

Uryu Ishida, predictably, kept on ignoring him.

"Hey! HEEEEY! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"You."

Stunned momentarily at actually getting a response, Ichigo stopped talking. Only momentarily mind. "Whaddya mean _me?_ You have some nerve, you jerk! Just who do you think you are? You're…"

Uryu Ishida was becoming increasingly annoyed. Finally, he cast an icy glare at Ichigo. The boy stopped blustering immediately. "Don't you ever shut up?" Ishida growled softly. He stepped toward him. Ichigo instinctively took a step back and cast a panicked glance over his shoulder. "Hey… calm down, dude. Look, I was just saying that…"

Faster than he could comprehend, Ichigo found himself pinned up against the side of his house. Ishida's face was dangerously near his own. His face was so close, in fact, that Ichigo could feel the Quincey's breath ghosting across his lips.

"What're you…?"

Ishida lowered his head and brought their lips together in a fierce kiss. It was a demanding, bruising, harsh kiss. Ichigo loved it. He gasped at the deluge of new feelings that Ishida's kiss evoked in him. Ishida slipped his tongue between the conveniently parted lips and stroked the inside of his mouth possessively. Ichigo whimpered and tangled his hands in the other's hair. Ishida growled and bit the soul reaper's lower lip.

"Do… Do you kiss all the people you hate, Ishida?" Ichigo panted.

"I said, Shut Up," he growled before crashing their mouths together in another demanding kiss. Their tongues battled for dominance. In the end, Ichigo surrendered and, moaning quietly, let himself be ravished.

This. This is what he had been searching for. This is what Orihime could never give him.

The disturbing thought jolted him back to reality. Ichigo tore his mouth away from Ishida's, looking horrified. He shook his head and attempted to disentangle himself. Ishida was having none of it. The Quincey wrapped his strong arms firmly around Ichigo's waist.

"I'm not _gay_!" Ichigo insisted, struggling futilely.

Ishida fixed him with a steely look.

"Okay, maybe a _little_ gay," he amended. "But not with you!"

"I beg to differ…" Ishida replied, pressing his leg into what was obviously an erection.

Before he could stop himself, Ichigo's hips bucked and he let out a whimper of pleasure. "No! Stop it! You hate me remember?"

"Lust has nothing to do with love or hate. It has nothing to do with any emotion. It's primal and spontaneous, Strawberry. It's 'in the moment'. Live in the moment with me, Ichigo."

Ichigo surrendered.

_I hate you._

_I hate you too._

_But… we will always have our moments._

**End**


End file.
